Request Robotic arms user tutorial

[Cosmic Penguin]

One of the most used methods of moving things and supporting maintenance in space is the use of the robotic arms (specially the SRMS and SSRMS). Yet except for a few specific cases (like the Shuttle Fleet expansion packs), there are no tutorials for teaching how to control the arm joints and movements such that grappling and moving objects around are make easy. Is is possible to make a "generic" tutorial for teaching how to move the different joints to grapple, move and release objects in space. It's quite important for building space stations, so I hope someone can make such a tutorial. Thanks! :tiphat:

GP

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I sort-of know what you mean.

I've found the directions in the documents of Thorton's ISS for using the SSRMS, but I've gone through an impressive vocabulary of blue language at various times trying to get that arm to move the way I want. David's RMS with shuttle fleet will cause me some pain sometimes too, the documantation is first rate; but it makes me appreciate how much practice the mission specialists need to make it look oh-so easy.

Yuri's URMS is pretty user friendly, but it doesn't always work and play well with others.

 

[gattispilot]

It might be nice to see the code for the arms also

 

[Donamy]

The RMS in SSU works perfectly. Thanks to Siamesecat. He's working on the SSRMS with the Cupola also.

 

[SiameseCat]

One of the most used methods of moving things and supporting maintenance in space is the use of the robotic arms (specially the SRMS and SSRMS). Yet except for a few specific cases (like the Shuttle Fleet expansion packs), there are no tutorials for teaching how to control the arm joints and movements such that grappling and moving objects around are make easy. Is is possible to make a "generic" tutorial for teaching how to move the different joints to grapple, move and release objects in space. It's quite important for building space stations, so I hope someone can make such a tutorial. Thanks! :tiphat:

GP

The problem is that, unless the arm you're using implements IK (Inverse Kinematics), it's very difficult to control the arm. IK allows you to move the arm's end effector in an intuitive way (i.e. 'forward' or 'down'), which you really can't do by moving a single joint at the time. If you have IK (both SSU and the Shuttle Fleet arms implement this, and I think URMS does as well), using the arm is fairly similar to docking.